Hoop-shaped vehicle having occupant seat therein



Feb. 5, 1963 J. R. GEISER' 3,076,666

HOOP-SHAPED VEHICLE HAVING OCCUPANT SEAT THEREIN Filed Sept. 1e,1959

INVENTOR. John R. Gelser BY WHITEHEAD, VOGL a LOWE PER ZM/[;4Z

ATTORNEYS L 3,076,666 HOOP-SHAPED VEHICLE HAVING OCCU- PANT SEAT TI-[EREIN John R. Geiser, 10,751 E. Colfax, Apt. 29, Aurora 8, C010. Filed Sept. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 840,443 1 Claim. (Cl. 280-206) This invention relates to sporting apparatus and more particularly to mobile sporting apparatus of the type which is formed as a hoop or barrel and which is rolled 6 Another object of the invention is to provide a novel 5;

and improved roller-hoop for playground use and the like, which incorporates in its construction a seating arrangement for a rider that keeps the center of gravity of the riders body near the center of the hoop at all times in a manner adapted to permit the rider to easily control and balance the movement of the hoop at any position. I} j Another object ofthe invention is to provide a novel and improved roller-hoop which incorporates in its construction a safety feature which automaticallyprevents a rider from rolling the hoop "so fast that it maybecome dangerous or get out of control. 1 r

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved roller-hoop which is especially easy for a novice to learn how to use and control.

Yet other objects thelinvention are to provide a novel and improved roller-hoop which is a simply eonstruct'ed, neat-appearing, low cost, rugged and durable unit.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, all of which more fully hereinafter appear, my invention comprises certain novel and improved constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts and elements as hereinafter described, defined in the appended claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the improved rollerhoop set in an upright position as for receiving a rider.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the roller-hoop to better illustrate its configuration.

The use of roller hoops is not new, and practically everyone has seen such hoops in a circus where an acrobat or clown will ride the hoop in a spread-eagle position and roll it across the circus arena by manipulating his weight as he tumbles over and over within the hoop. However, it is not to be expected that an ordinary person, and especially a child, will have suificient strength or skill to ride and manipulate such a hoop. While the acrobat makes such riding appear to be an easy, excitable and desirable sport, it is not for the general public. Also, such roller hoops can be dangerous in general play whenever a rider builds up too much speed or starts rolling down a slope and loses control of the unit.

There is a need and demand for such a roller hoop which may be used by the general public and especially by children if it can be made safe and usable without requiring a high degree of strength and physical skill. Such a device would be useful as a sporting unit and also as a unit which provides for exercise and the teaching of balance and elements of tumbling. A roller-hoop for general use must be constructed in such a manner as 3,076,666 Patented Feb. 5, 1963 to assist the rider in keeping his position and balance within the hoop and not get out of control or roll too fast. With such in view, the present invention was conceived and developed, and comprises, in essence, an improved lightweight roller-hoop having a seating arrangement within it adapted to place the center of gravity of the rider nearthe center of the hoop and in a novel oval form of hoop rim which facilitates the control of the unit by the rider and at the same time prevents the rider from rolling the hoop at an excessive speed, all as hereinafter described in detail.

Referring more, particularly to the drawing, my improved roller-hoop is formed within a pair of hoop rims 10 which are held apart by a plurality of transverse spacer bars 11 within the rims in parallel planes to. combine to form a roller unit of sufiieient width as to normally stand upright and not tip over sidewise. These rims 10' are oval-shaped and are preferably elliptical as illustrated and preferably with the major axis of the elipse being substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of a riders body within the roller-hoop and with the points of the ellipse defining the top and the bottom of the unit when in the position illustrated where a rider will be seated upright within the unit.

An inclined side bar 12 is connected to each nm '10 near an upper quarter point thereof; when upright as illustrated, and extends toward the center of the ellipseform. and thence downwardly to connect with the base .of the rim at one side of the ellipsepoint. The pair of side bars 12 are aligned in parallelismand carry a seat 13 and backrest 14 between them. The transversely disposed seat-13 is set between these side bars 12 immediately below the center of the ellipse form while the structural member forming the backrest 14 is arched to offset the backrest 14 from a position between the side bars 12, at a distance sufficient to place the rider toone side of the center of the ellipse form. It is contemplated that the rider will sit on the seat 13 with his back against the backrest 14 at least part of the time, but, thathe maybe free't-o tip his body a short distance forwardly from the backrest while remaining in the seated position and in doing so place the center of gravity of his body at the center of the ellipse form which will place the unit and rider in balance. To facilitate this and to provide a degree of safety against a rider falling out of the unit, a belt 15 is carried on the side arms 12 immediately above the seat 13 in a position which may permit it to be strapped about the pelvis of the rider.

A stay arm 16 is connected to each rim 10 near the upper quarter point at the side opposite the connection of the side bar 12 and each stay arm extends downwardly therfrom to connect with the base of the rim at the side of the ellipse point opposite the connection of the side bar 12. If a rider desires to do so, he may grip the stay arm at any position he chooses. A strut 17 extends from each stay 16 to the rim 10 a short distance above the center of the unit and a transversely disposed handle bar 18 is set between these struts which the rider may also, and will usually grip. When a rider is gripping this handle bar 18 he may safely lean forward in the seat 13 and in doing so he can shift the center of gravity of his body to any side of the center of the ellipse form, to not only obtain any desired degree of balance while riding the unit, but also to shift the balance in any selected manner as to accelerate or retard the movement of the unit.

A foot board 19 is mounted upon a pair of spacer bars 11 at the base of the unit and it is contemplated that the width of the foot board 19 will be sufiicient only to hold the riders feet in position so that he may step off the board and onto the ground to lift the roller-hoop and walk or to stop movement of the unit.

A padded head protector 20 is located at the top of the unit between the rims and is suspended upon several spacer bars 11 in a canopy-like arrangement to protect a riders head when he is upside down, both against a loose belt permitting the riders body to drop, and against any obstruction, such as a stump, which might be in the path of a rolling unit. It was discovered that a rider may ride in the unit with the belt not fastened about his body and when he does so this head protector is especially desirable.

To complete the unit, other reinforcing struts may be incorporated into it such as a strut 21 behind the backrest 14 which extends to a transverse spacer bar 11 as illustrated, and this arrangement reduces the strain on the side arms 12 when the weight of a rider is against the backrest 14. All of the elements forming this rollerhoop may be simple tubular members of aluminum, steel or any other similar material and the various struts and bars may be interconnected to the rims 10 and to each other as by welding by using pipe fittings or by any other conventional means.

The oval form of the rims 10 illustrated as a 45- degree ellipse at FIG. 2, provides for several desirable actions in a roller-hoop. In the first place, -the ellipse form prevents a rider from gaining too much speed for the action is to repeatedly raise and lower the body of the rider and a rider will resist this at high speed, naturally forcing the unit to slow down. Also, to obtain the efiect or thrill of the tumbling action of such a hoop, it is not necessary for the rider to obtain any significant speed. The ellipse form will also permit a novice to learn to ride the, hoop quickly. Actually the novice may rock the unit in a careful, manner, gradually increasing the degree of rocking until he learns how to control the overturning action of the roller-hoop. This rocking action is very desirable in teaching small children how to ride the unit.

It. is within the contemplation of the invention that several forms of the rim 10 will be suitable for the purposes hereinbefore set forth. Although the elliptical form has been found to be preferable in actual use, any .oval form will work if there is a sufiicient degree of eccentricity to obtain a definite rocking action, not possible with a circular hoop. The preferable construction is illustrated as a -degree ellipse and although a degree ellipse and even a -degree ellipse will work satisfactorily, but when the rims 10 are closer to a true circle (a -degree ellipse) the desirable rocking action heretofore described is lost and the action is substantially that which would be obtained with a circular hoop.

While I have thus described my invention in considerable det-ail, it is obvious that others skilled in the art can build and devise alternate and equivalent constructions which are nevertheless within the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence, I desire that my protection be limited, not by the constructions illustrated and described, but only by the proper scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

In a passenger-carrying roller-hoop of the type which is formed by a pair of hoop-rims, spacer bar means interconnecting the rims in spaced parallelism and passenger supporting and seating means within the confines of the rims adapted to hold a seated passenger in an upright position when the rims are in an upright base position and to roll and tumble the passengers body as the hoop rotates from this base position, wherein said hoop rims are substantially elliptical in form having an eccentricity at least that of a 75 ellipse and with the major axis of the ellipse-form being substantially vertical when the rims are in said base position whereby to dispose the unit in a condition of unstable equilibrium in said base position and seat-supporting side bars connected to the hoop rims which extend in a substantially upright position at each side of the seat and protect the passenger against accidental sidewise movements, in the seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,256,454 Evesson Feb. 12, 1918 1,521,133 Tinker Dec. 30, 1924 1,561,918 Feddersen Nov. 17, 1925 1,676,015 Feick July 3, 1928 2,107,766 Rose Feb. 8, 1938 2,738,619 Oquist Mar. 20, 1956 2,923,545 Lytle Feb. 2, 1960 2,953,394 Anderson Sept. 20, 1960 

